Higher Education: Towards a Model for Successful University-Industry Collaboration in Africa

Higher education has been identified as one of the key engines for achieving Agenda 2063’s Aspiration 1 of “A prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development,” which requires Africa to make significant investments in education to develop human and social capital through an education and skills revolution that emphasizes innovation, science, and technology. To meet the knowledge, competencies, skills, innovation, and creativity necessary to foster African core values and promote sustainable development at the national, sub-regional, and continental levels, a strong collaboration between Africa’s higher and industry systems is essential. Using the theory of social capital and collaborative governance theory, this chapter focuses on the need for strengthening collaboration between the university, government, and industry to provide an effective paradigm for university-industry partnerships. A large amount of research emphasizes the need for a strong university-industry-government collaboration to promote innovation and enhance graduate employability. However, there are numerous barriers to successful university-industry collaboration. Therefore, this chapter proposes a Triple Helix Model of Collaboration to illustrate the dynamics that arise from the interplay of the three principal institutional realms in an economy: academia, industry, and government.